Controller “forgot” he had given take-off clearance
Two aircraft nearly collided at Manchester airport because an air traffic controller “forgot” he had cleared one of the jets for take-off.
According to The Guardian newspaper, reporting an Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) inquiry, the pilot of a MyTravel plane with 200 passengers on board had to abort a take-off while travelling at 100mph after he noticed a Ryanair aircraft taxiing across the runway.
The Guardian reports that an air traffic controller admitted responsibility for the near-miss, telling the inquiry that he had forgotten he had cleared the MyTravel plane for take-off when he told the Ryanair pilot to cross the runway.
The AAib reportedly criticised National Air Traffic Services (Nats), stating that its procedures were clearly “not effective”.
There was praise for the MyTravel pilot, however, for his emergency stop and his brief and concise message to the control tower as he realized what he had to do: “Stopping.”
Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd
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